1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to information processing method and apparatus and a memory medium on which a control program to control the information processing apparatus has been stored.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, a network is being realized and a printer as an information processing apparatus is also assembled from a local printer to the network and one printer can be shared by a plurality of users. Under such an environment, a network printer in which a large sorter is built is also available in the market. A printer in which a print image has been stored by using a memory medium such as a hard disk and which has an electronic sorter with a function of a sorter has also been proposed.
In the above conventional printers, however, an image file described by a page description language is developed in a raster image and the developed image is stored onto a memory medium. For example, there is a problem such that a raster image having a large white area and a raster image having many changes need the same memory area and the limited memory medium cannot be effectively used.
The invention is made in consideration of the above problems in the foregoing conventional techniques and it is an object of the invention to provide information processing method and apparatus which can effectively use memory means that is used as, for instance, an electronic sorter.
Another object of the invention is to provide a memory medium on which a control program which can smoothly control the information processing apparatus of the invention as mentioned above has been stored.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising: a storing step of storing information into storing means; a developing step of developing an information file described by a predetermined language into raster image information; a comparing step of comparing data amounts of the information file described by the predetermined language, an intermediate language file which is generated when developing into the raster image information, and an information file developed to the raster image information; and a control step of controlling so as to store the smallest file as a comparison result in the comparing step into the storing means.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: storing means for storing information; developing means for developing an information file described by a predetermined language into raster image information; comparing means for comparing data amounts of the information file described by the predetermined language, an intermediate language file which is generated when developing into the raster image information, and an information file developed to the raster image information; and control means for controlling so as to store the smallest file as a comparison result of the comparing means into the storing means.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a memory medium on which a control program to control an information processing apparatus has been stored, wherein the control program has control modules comprising: a storing step of storing information into storing means; a developing step of developing an information file described by a predetermined language into raster image information; a comparing step of comparing data amounts of the information file described by the predetermined language, an intermediate language file which is generated when developing into the raster image information, and an information file developed to the raster image information; and a control step of controlling so as to store the smallest file as a comparison result in the comparing step into the storing means.
Preferably, the storing means is a hard disk.
Preferably, the predetermined language is a page description language.